Arthur's training was relentless.
Steel rang against steel in the morning mist as Iris and I moved under his watchful eye. Every correction came sharp and precise, every mistake answered with another drill. Sweat soaked my clothes, mana burned low in my veins, and yet Arthur never looked satisfied.
Arthur: "Again. A bond spirit won't wait for you to catch your breath."
Iris clenched her fists, eyes burning with determination.
She wasn't weaker than before. If anything, she felt sharper. Faster. But I could sense it. She felt the pressure too.
This wasn't ordinary training.
It was preparation.
King Arlond's voice echoed through the courtyard later that day.
"Raidan. Iris. Come."
The weight in his tone made my chest tighten.
"It's time to awaken your bond spirits from their slumber."
For a moment, excitement and fear tangled together inside me.
What if my spirit was weak?
What if Iris's suffered again?
We followed him, joined by Arthur, Elilia, Mart, Ashia, and my parents. The castle stairs spiraled downward, deeper than I had ever gone, until we reached an underground arena sealed by a massive door.
The patterns carved into it made my breath hitch.
"T-that door… its patterns… its style—"
Elilia froze.
Elilia "That's the same pattern as the one you found in the mountains."
Queen Alicia's eyes widened.
King Arlond "You found a door like this… outside the castle?"
Iris nodded slowly.
"Y-yes."
King Arlond frowned, troubled.
"That's impossible. This is the only door ever discovered with that design."
The door opened.
Beyond it lay something unexpected.
Not stone halls. Not ruins.
A forest.
Towering trees arched overhead, their branches woven so tightly that sunlight fell in thin, golden threads. The air was cool and still, heavy with moss, bark, and something ancient that never truly faded.
At the heart of the clearing stood a stone altar.
The Kinship Stone.
It didn't shine loudly.
It glowed like embers beneath ash. Patient. Waiting.
Roots wrapped around its base like guardians, as if the forest itself had chosen to protect this place.
When Eris and I stepped forward, the world went silent.
No wind.
No birds.
Even the forest seemed to lean in.
This was not a place of celebration.
It was a place of resolve.
The markings on the altar brightened as we approached, responding not to mana, but to emotion. Determination.
Fear. Promises we hadn't spoken aloud.
This place remembered everyone who had ever stood here.
I swallowed.
So this is where bonds are born…
The eggs trembled.
Light split the air.
From my egg, crimson lightning tore outward as scales unfolded. Gold traced along a massive form as wings spread wide. A dragon rose, eyes burning with intelligence older than kingdoms.
From Iris's egg came silver-gold fire, shaping itself into a majestic Fenrir, its presence calm yet overwhelming.
"T-that's a dragon!"
"And that's Fenrir!"
Shock rippled through everyone present.
King Arlond stepped back, stunned.
"A dragon… and not just any dragon. I've never seen one like this."
Queen Alicia whispered, awed.
"And that Fenrir… it's unlike any recorded beast."
Arcit's voice rang clearly."Name your bonds."
I smiled despite myself.
"Of course I will."
"I will call you Rath."
Iris stepped forward, eyes shining.
"And I'll call you Eylo."
The spirits lowered their heads, accepting.
Arcit: "Bond confirmed. Spirit Rath has entered your party."
Arcitia : "Bond confirmed. Spirit Eylo has entered your party."
I laughed softly.
"Get along with Eylo, Rath."
Iris smiled.
"You too."
Later, in the library, Elilia pulled an ancient tome from the shelves, its pages brittle with age.
As we read, the truth settled in slowly.
Our armor.
Our weapons.
Our grimoires.
Our wands.
Our spirits.
They weren't separate.
They were linked.
A complete system once used by ancient Riders whose bonds went beyond combat. Their power wasn't drawn from dominance—but harmony.
Elilia exhaled.
"So that's why everything responded to you two."
She closed the book gently.
"These weren't random blessings."
"They were answers."
That night, beds were prepared for Rath and Eylo.
Arthur smiled as he turned away.
"Take care of them."
Iris and I nodded.
As sleep pulled me under, one thought echoed clearly in my mind.
This wasn't the easy, overpowered life of reincarnation stories.
This was something deeper.
Something earned.
And tomorrow…
everything would begin to change again.